Chances at a 1L big law job...

[Lawbster]

It may generally be impossible to tell who is lying, but it's not impossible to tell if he's lying.  Clearly, he's either lying now, was lying in September, or both.

Everyone I know with that many interviews at big law salaries is at a top 10 school.  Everyone I know with interviews sent their cover letters as e-mail attachments.  (That's what I did, and I have big law -- or mid law at market -- interviews.)  So no need to encourage people at lower-tiered schools that if they just send out more letters they'll get a big law job.  At some point in the next few weeks, they should start exploring other opportunities.

You may have a special resume (and I don't know why you'd send a personal statement to an employer), but the top three deciding factors for interviews at this point are networking, where you go to school and grades.  Every firm will openly tell you that.

No, I'm not lying, just on the ball. I knew that I wanted biglaw for 1L summer and made a list of all the locations I wouldn't mind working. It's a pretty varied list, so that probably has something to do with it.

[Peaches]

I'm pointing out the inconsistency between you saying in September that you got a 1L job at big law and posting now that you have 7 interviews for big law this summer as a 1L.  Either you already were a 1L or you are a 1L.  And if you're a 2L this year, 7 interviews?  Big freaking deal.  You should have a job already.  And if you're a 1L, then you didn't have a job in September.

[Dr. Balsenschaft]

I'm confused as well. Peaches is correct in that HelloLSD said in in a September thread that he/she was able to get a 1L Biglaw SA position (http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/students/index.php/topic,7536.msg65383.html#msg65383) but is now posting as if he/she is still a 1L looking for a SA position.

[thorc954]

I agree, plust I still call BS even if he is a 1L this year.  No one in the bottom of the first tier gets seven big law interviews regardless of if they "know what they want."  I knew I wanted to work for big law my first summer and so did many of my friends and we had mixed results.  I go to a significantly better school then anything in the bottom of the first year too.  The fact of the matter is that as a 1L you are useless to a firm and pretty much out of the top 14-25 (excluding howard obviously) schools you are undesirable to any employer willing to pay 160K.

So, I think you are lying which is stupid since this is a anonymous posting.

[The Decider]

Who cares what some anonymous poster might have lied about.  The fact of the matter is that even if some 1L has 7 interviews at biglaw, that certainly doesn't embody the norm.  

If you want to get real, here is what has happened with me so far: I sent out 147 resumes after Christmas.  So far I have received about 40 rejections, 10 can you send grades, and the rest are in purgatory.  I am an non-trad BSEE, with an MBA and 5 years prior work experience.  I even did a year long internship at a law office during undergrad.  I did pretty well in school and I am at a good law school now.  I sent most of my letters to the Pacific NW or Mountain West.

Maybe HelloLSD is just a superstar?  Who gives a crap.  Send out your own resumes and hope for the best.  Make a contingency plan in case nothing works out.

[olive]

It depends on the market, and what you consider an interview. If you include OCI as interviews, it's very possible to have that many with good grades IN CERTAIN MARKETS.

I'm a 2L. I did very well first semester 1L but didn't "mass-mail" until the end of Dec - I wasn't ready for the Dec 1 deadline, didn't want to sacrifice my grades, and then was burnt out afterwards. I mass-mailed in one major market (before grades came out) and the few 1L slots were already full (a few firms requested grades anyway, one of which led to an automatic 2L callback interview and offer but none of the big firms in that market panned out for 1L). After grades came out I mass-mailed in a secondary market and got interviews from virtually all of the big firms there + multiple offers

In sum, it REALLY REALLY depends on the market: whether they wait for grades and how many 1L slots they have available. Also, it's not necessarily too late to send out more letters... depending on the market.

[dmactoto1]

This post is not meant to brag or anger people, just show people that it is POSSIBLE to land a good number of interviews your 1L year. I go to UT and was born and raised in Houston. Therefore, I applied ONLY to Houston firms and told them that because I fully intend to practice in Houston, I only applied to Houston firms. Before grades came out, I got 4 interviews and received two after they came out. Granted, I am fairly certain some of the Houston firms trot in a ton of 1L's just to reject them, but they are still interviews nonetheless. I was also told specifically by the recruiters that they loved the fact that I did not apply to any other city, because most firms fear 1L's are just trying to get any job they can get. I know this seemed like a risky strategy, only applying to 13 firms, but I figured if my grades checked out, I would get the interviews in Houston; if not, I wouldn't get them in another random market to which I have no connection. I know this runs counter to the preconceived notions that it is better to send out 1000 resumes your 1L year and just try to get lucky, but if you think about it, it makes sense. From a firm's perspective, if you have no tie to the city and do not strongly indicate a legitimate reason you will end up there, you are most likely out. So then, if it is between a candidate who said he only applied to Houston and is for sure going to end pu there, or one who just might be from Houston, who do you think they are going to select? This is all just my two cents and I obviously have a very limited sample size (myself). Again, though, I must reiterate that each interview explained how important it was that I noted that I am for sure going to end up in Houston.

[Peaches]

UT is also not at the bottom of the first tier...

[dmactoto1]

well, right. i just meant to shed some insight regarding my experience, not decide if whoever was lying or not.

[thorc954]

well, right. i just meant to shed some insight regarding my experience, not decide if whoever was lying or not.

well, they are lying, and congrats on getting all the interviews.  The great thing about 1L SA interviews is that, although they usually do not turn into jobs for the 1L year, they almost always mean an offer 2L year.